A Rubens painting, considered lost for centuries, was sold at auction.
In France, a painting by the famous Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, "Jesus Christ on the Cross," which was considered lost for more than four centuries, was sold at auction. The 1613 painting was accidentally discovered by auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat in a Parisian estate prior to its sale, reports The Guardian.
The auction house estimated that the work would fetch between 1 and 2 million euros, but it was eventually sold for 2.3 million euros. The auctioneer called the painting a true masterpiece created by Rubens during the height of his talent. He noted that the work shows Christ crucified against a dark, threatening sky - the beginning of true baroque in painting.
The authenticity of the painting was confirmed by German researcher Nils Büttner, one of the leading experts in Flemish Baroque. According to him, Rubens often turned to the theme of the crucifixion, but very rarely depicted Christ already dead on the cross. This work is unique in that it shows blood and water flowing from the wound on his side - the artist painted a similar scene only once.
Little was known for a long time about the painting "Jesus Christ on the Cross": historians knew about it only thanks to an engraving by one of Rubens' contemporaries, although the painting itself had never been seen.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) is one of the most outstanding Baroque artists, the author of about three thousand works: altar compositions, portraits, landscapes and large-scale historical paintings. He also designed engravings, tapestries and architectural projects, headed a large workshop in Antwerp and left a huge artistic legacy.
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